2. Creating Digital Text – Lessons Learned from a First Time Author
Jeffery Huston
EdD, AT, FNS
Athletic Training Program

3. My Background! 12th year at Kent State University
Athletic Training Program Director
Heidelberg University
Assistant Professor of Athletic Training
Father of 3 Boys – 11, 8, and 7
Coach Baseball and Soccer in my spare time
Wife teaches elementary school
Deeply concerned with education and the cost of education
Understand the trends in K-12 education

4. The Problem – Cost and Material for Anatomy and Physiology Students
High cost of text
Over $400 for a single text
Lack of a lab text
Results in inconsistent student outcomes across lab sections
Inconsistent student outcomes from year to year as TA’s change
Student Engagement in Lecture
Large lecture hall with difficult material
The Problem – Cost and Material for Anatomy and Physiology Students
4/4/2019

5. Engagement: Top Hat
Adopted Top Hat in lectures in the 2014
Course engagement system
Originally permitted class presentations and administration of in class questions
Evolved over time to now include Text adoptions, Test Administration and the ability to create original course content.
Cost of Text: Top Hat and Open Stax
Adopted a free Anatomy and Physiology Text from Open Stax
The text is incorporated into the Top Hat platform and permits the instructor to edit the text to suit the needs of the course
Lab Manual: Top Hat Authoring
Write my own lab manual!
Solutions – Keeping cost down, students engaged, and outcomes consistent
4/4/2019

6. The Big Idea
Create a standard text and manual to be used in all lab sections
Create meaningful pre-lab readings to prepare students for lab
Create hands on lab activities
Create post lab questions and discussions to link the pre-lab knowledge to the in lab experience
Make a text the includes a direct application to students careers
4/4/2019

7. How it all started I have had this idea for years
Another company approached me a few years ago with the idea – but their method seemed odd
I considered just self publishing or simply creating a pdf
from Top Hat in early 2018 inviting me to author a lab manual
Follow up conversations concerning expectations and deadlines
4/4/2019

8. The process – it really was simple
The contract with Top Hat included deadlines and expectations
Deadlines were set around web based meetings (ZOOM) with an instructional design expert
The ID expert helped with aspects including:
Layout
Imbedding Video
Finding/citing multimedia
Design of course evaluations
4/4/2019

9. Designing and creating
Honestly it was easy! (After giving into working on the Top Hat platform)
Initially I did everything on Word and then moved it to the TH platform
After I became more comfortable I worked exclusively on the TH platform
After consultation with Quintin (my ID expert and the best one they have) we changed to look for single chapters to breaking the chapters up in order to assign different sections at different times.
Designing and creating
4/4/2019

10. Lets Take a Look
The finished product

11. Lessons Learned Instructional Design Creating Content
Creating short – visually appealing sections
Ensure that your instructions are clear in each section
Creating Content
The creative commons is your best friend!
Learning the differences in copy right is essential - make sure that anything you use is licensed for commercial use and that it is permitted to be modified
Differing Assessment
Providing different forms of questions is easy with Top Hat – multiple choice, short answer, true false, hot spot
The only question format they lack is Essay or Extended Response – for that I used discussion post that are closed to the rest of the class
4/4/2019

12. More Lessons Learned Asking for help Writing a text is NOT scary!
The support that was provided by Top Hat was exceptional – any time I had a question they had an answer or found the answer
Writing a text is NOT scary!
I always thought it would be something I would never do
Digital platforms make the process easy
I wrote at home, on the road at conferences, and mostly at my camper
I loved it so much I am working on my next text
Writing a text on the platform has enhanced my teaching
Almost all of my assignments are now Top Hat pages that have several interactive components.
4/4/2019

13. 01 02 03 Future applications Keeping cost down!
Delivering content that is ADA compliant 02
Delivering content to students no matter where they are 03
Future applications
4/4/2019

14. Thank You!
Kent.edu